Can opener



F. E. LEITCH May 23, 1950 CAN OPENER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1945 IIN,

ATTD R N EYS F. E. LEITCH CAN OPENER May 23, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1945 bw wm Nm,

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CAN OPENER 4 She'ts-Sheet 3 May 23, 195o F'lled May 14, 1945 i... ll-Il-l A 4-1-1-1 INVENTOR. [e150 Lf/76H E' ,fa

i. E "lllllllll/lllll/II ATTE! RN EYS F.,E,. LElTH cbm OPENER May 23, 1950 4 Sheets-heet 4 Filed May 14, 1945 A'ITD RN EYS ened edge 92 and a point 94 adapted to pierce the can and a feed wheel 96 having teeth 98, similar to saw teeth. See Figures 2 and 3.

The knife 90 is secured to a pivoted plate 00 by screws |02 or other similar fastening means and the plate is pivoted to the framework 20 by means of a pivot pin |04 which may be a screw and nut |05 as shown, or other similar pivot means.

The plate |00 has outturned duplicate projections |06 which extend outwardly on opposite sides of the knife 90 and act as guides in relation to the knife 90 for abutting the upper rolled rim of the can A shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The plate |00 lies fiat against the framework and is provided with an apertured projection v |08 for connection to an eccentric wheel ||0 by means of a pivot pin or screw I2 retained in p0- sition by a nut ||3 (Figure l) or similar pivoting means. The wheel ||0 is rotatably mounted in an opening 4 in the framework 20.

A handle ||6 having a knob I I1 thereon lies dat against the opposite side of the framework 20 and is connected to the wheel 0 by means of a pivot I |8 which in this instance is a, screw retained in position by a nut ||9, but may be any type of pivoting means.

The eccentric motion is obtained by also attaching the handle I I6 on the pivot l |2.

Therefore by forward and rearward movement of the handle ||6 the plate |00 and knife 90 is brought into and out of cutting engagement with the can A.

Since the plate |00 constitutes a movable mounting for the knife 90 it is held in abutment with the can A by a coil spring |20 having one end operatively engaging the opening |22 in the rear projection |06, and the other attached to an apertured outturned projection |24 which is struck out of the framework 20.

The pivot pin |04 is mounted for sliding movement in a slot |26 in the framework 20 and is held in abutment with the lower end of the slot |26 by a coil spring |28 having one end operatively engaging the pin |04 and the other end attached to an apertured outturned projection |30 which is struck out of the framework 20.

The feed wheel 96 is mounted on an axle |32 which is burred at its outer end to prevent displacement of the wheel 96. The axle |32 is supported in a bearing |34 (Figure 5) welded to the framework 20 on the opposite side to the feed wheel 96.

The opposite end of the axle |32 is provided with'a gear wheel 36 and a crank |38 having a suitable handle |40 is secured to the gear wheel |36 by rivets |42 or similar fastening means. The end of the axle is threaded to receive the complementary threaded nut |4| to retain the gear wheel |36 thereon.

When the handle ||6 is moved rearward and assumes the position shown in Fig. 1, the knife 90 and plate |00 are out of engagement with the can A but when moved forward to assume the position in Fig. 3 the knife 90 and plate |00 are in cutting engagement with the can A.

In its rearward movement a substantially square shaped projection ||5 on the handle ||6 coacts and contacts with the inturned end |44 of a vertical can punch |46. The end |44 is externally threaded to receive a complementary nut |48 to retain the punch |46 in a vertical slot |50 in the framework 20. The punch |46 is reciprocatably mounted in an apertured plate |52 which is secured to the flange 22 of the frame` work 20 by screws |54 or other fastening means. A coil spring |56 encircles the punch |46 to return the punch to inoperative position, one end can be any type of pivoting means desired. A

washer |63 is mounted on the end |44 to coact with and prevent the jamming of the plate |60 during the movement thereof.

The plate |60 pivots forwardly and in so doing-the saw teeth |64 on the edge of the plate |60 slides over an opening |66 provided in the framework 20 adjacent the edge 24 thereof.

The edge |68 of the opening |66 is V-shaped and provided with saw teeth |10.

The point of the V-shaped edge |66 extending toward the rod 28.

Therefore, as the plate 60 pivots forwardly the teeth |64 thereon and the teeth |10 coact to clamp a screw cap C of a bottle and thereby unscrew the cap C from the bottle.

The downward action of the punch |46 and the forward action of the plate |60 are therefore simultaneous with the movement of the handle ||6 when moved in a rearward direction to disengage the knife 90 and plate |00 from the can A.

The gear wheel |36 is adapted to mesh with intermeshing gear wheels 12 to which are secured similar intermeshing egg beaters 14, (Figure 8) and the gears |12 and beaters |14 are rotatably mounted on the usual supporting members |16 (Figure 5) which are welded to an L-bracket |18 which in turn is welded to a supporting arm |80.

The arm has an upturned T-shaped projection |82 on the end |83 thereof, Figure 9, which is adapted to be received in the T-shaped slot |84 in the framework 20.

The lower edge |86 of the arm |80 is parallel with the lower edge 2| of the framework 20 and the upper edge |88 of the arm |80 is received in a recess |3| in the projection |30 (Figure 5).

The opposite or free end |90 of the arm |80- comprises an enlarged portion |92 in which is rotatably mounted the shaft |94 of a locking key |96, the axle of which is threaded at its outer end to receive a complementary threaded nut |98 (Figure 1) and the end is burred to prevent the removal of the nut |98. An eccentric 200 is mounted on the shaft |94 and is adapted to lock the free end |90 of the arm |80 in face toface engagement with the framework 20 by being positioned in the opening 202 (Figure 2) in the front end 23 of the framework 20.

Thus when the crank |38 is rotated the gear wheels |12 will mesh with the gear wheel 36 on the crank |38 causing the beaters to be rotated in the usual manner.

The opening 262 being in the end 23 ofthe framework 20 is open for part of its circumference, the upper termination of the opening being provided with the eccentric contacting and locking edge 204 which extends beyond the end 23 of the framework 20 and terminates in a point 206, the lower termination of the opening 202 forms a point 208 and these form the releasing means for the eccentric 200 as well as a bottle opener as shown in Fig. 2.

The bearing |34 is of a suilicient size to permit the meshing of the gears I36 and i12 without hindering or preventing the rotation thereof.

The operation of the device is as follows: The operator places the can A in the guide groove 210 in the flange 22 of the framework 20 so that the top edge of the rim contacts the guide |06 and the feed lwheel 96 contacts the lower edge of the rim of the can. The handle H6 is then moved forward actuating the plate and causing the knife 90 to puncture the top of the can A. The upper rim as stated being properly positioned by the groove 210 and guides |06. The mechanism is so designed that the plate |00 shall be maintained in contact with the can at all times by the spring so that the knife 90 is always held in cutting position and the plate |00 presses the can against the feed wheel 96 to prevent the slipping thereof.

As has been previously explained the forward and rearward movement of the handle H6 will act to punch cans or remove screw caps from bottles and it is thought that the action of the beaters will be apparent.

It will be understood, therefore, by those skilled in the art that the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed accomplishes the objects of the invention. It also has uses and advantages other than those herein particularly referred to, also various changes and modifications may be lmade without departing from the spirit of the invention, and since the embodiment disclosed herein is only illustrative of the device, the invention is not to be understood as restricted thereto since this may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a framework constituting a one piece substantially rectangular plate having a ange extended outwardly at right angles from the bottom edge thereof, a supporting rod for said framework, having an upper bifurcated end in which said frame is mounted intermediately thereof, means for securing said frame in said bifurcated end, a bracket for receiving said rod, means on said bracket for retaining said framework in right angular relation to said bracket; means for retaining lastsaid means in relation to said framework, a plate pivotally mounted on said framework, aknife on said plate, afeed Wheel coacting withsaid knife, an eccentric mounted in said framework, said plate being pivotally attached on one side of said framework to said eccentric and a handle on the other vside of said framework attached to said eccentric anda crank having a handle for rotating said feed wheel.

2. The invention as described in claim 1, wherein guides for positioning a can in relation to said knife` areprovided on said plate.

3. The invention as described in claim 1. wherein tensioning means are connected to said plate to force said plate against a can positioned for cutting engagement with said knife.

FRED E. LEITCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,534,484 Averill Apr. 21, 1925 1,939,349 Holman Dec. l2, 1933 1,953,412 Killman Apr. 3, 1934 2,043,654 Donat June 9, 1936 2,070,261 Dazey Feb. 9, 1937 2,186,668 Curtis Jan. 9, 1940 2,190,940 Frins Feb. 20, 1940 2,236,342 Marsella et al. Mar. 25, 1941 2,239,309 Zimmer Apr. 22, 1941 2,296,073 Walgo Sept. 15, 1942 

